Heavy Duty Trucking Logo
MenuMENU
SearchSEARCH

KAG Buys Carbon Express

New Jersey-based Carbon Express is the latest acquisition for tanker and bulk products giant Kenan Advantage Group.

September 6, 2022
KAG Buys Carbon Express

Carbon Express and its team will become part of KAG's Specialty Products division.

Photo: KAG

2 min to read


Ohio-based Kenan Advantage Group has acquired Carbon Express Inc., a Wharton, New Jersey- based company that transports liquid bulk products throughout North America.

The entire Carbon Express team will join KAG, North America’s largest tank truck transporter and logistics provider, within its Specialty Products division, including approximately 65 professional drivers/independent contractors.

Carbon Express Executive Chairman and founder Steve Rush will remain with the company throughout the transition and President Sean McAllister will continue to manage the daily operations. McAllister will also look to capitalize on growth opportunities with the additional assets and resources KAG can provide.

"I believe in picking KAG as the buyer we have picked the right company, especially for our drivers," Rush told HDT. "KAG recognizes, as we always have, that without the driver you cannot succeed in trucking. Taking care of the customer and the driver as equals has always been our motto and KAG feels the same way."

From the HDT Archives: How Carbon Express did a 180 on Safety (2016)

Rush, a 2015 HDT Truck Fleet Innovator, has made a name for himself in the industry by doing things differently, including being an early adopter of electronic logs and putting drivers up in hotels overnight. The company he founded after a career as a driver and owner-operator transports chemicals, transformer oil, motor oil, lubricants and water treatment chemicals.

KAG this year also bought 25-year-old K-Limited and Louisiana-based American PetroLog.

Karen Rizzuto, KAG’s SVP of Operations, Specialty Products, called the Carbon Express acquisition “a great strategic fit to our expansion in the specialty products market. Their operating region and customer base complements our footprint today, but also provides additional expansion opportunities in the Northeastern U.S.

“Along with a tremendous attention to customer service, the leadership team focuses on an employee-centric model with a strong emphasis on safety," she added. "This commitment is important to all of us.”

Drivers are a major focus at Carbon Express, where founder Steve Rush believes that “paying drivers by the hour and billing customers by the hour is the way out of this mess we are all in.”

Photo: Carbon Express

The Kenan Advantage Group operates through its six operating groups consisting of KAG Energy, KAG Specialty Products, KAG Food Products, KAG Merchant Gas, KAG Canada and KAG Logistics.

Updated 9:40 am 9/7/2022 to add comment from Steve Rush.

KAG and Carbon Express have both been featured in HDT for their approaches to driver pay:

More Fleet Management

A woman holding a tablet with a screen showing rectangles of various colors
SponsoredSeptember 16, 2026

Color Match Smarter: Tools That Restore & Perform

For fleet managers and collision repair professionals keeping heavy-duty trucks on the road, getting the color right the first time isn't just about appearance — it's about efficiency, turnaround time, and bottom-line results. Discover how today's digital color tools are transforming the repair process from guesswork to precision.

Read More →
Mobile tablet showing Motus screen against highway background with Motus logo
Fleet Managementby StaffSeptember 15, 2026

FMCSA Pauses Biennial-Update Enforcement Amid Motus Transition

Carriers whose updates were due on or after June 1 have more time, while FMCSA works to stabilize its new registration system and warns of phishing sites impersonating its new carrier registration system, Motus.

Read More →
Geotab Whitepaper Cargo Theft Cover
SponsoredSeptember 14, 2026

2026 Blueprint for Countering Smarter Supply Chain Theft

Cargo theft is no longer just the cost of doing business. It's a multi-billion-dollar criminal enterprise exploiting vulnerabilities across your fleet, drivers, and supply chain.

Read More →
A monitor with a bar graph with a person sitting next to it wearing a headset.
SponsoredSeptember 1, 2026

How Telematics Improves Visibility, Control, and Performance in Refrigerated Fleets

Explore how telematics help refrigerated fleets improve visibility, uptime, efficiency, compliance, and cargo protection across connected cold chain operations.

Read More →
Graphic with U.S. and Canadian flags over background illustration of an ink-stamp that says Tariffs.
Equipmentby Deborah LockridgeAugust 24, 2026

What the U.S.-Canada Trade War Means for Trucking

Escalating U.S.-Canada tariffs could disrupt cross-border freight, reduce truck volumes, raise costs, and create new uncertainty for carriers on both sides of the border.

Read More →
Fleet Managementby News/Media ReleaseAugust 24, 2026

What Are Trucking’s Top Concerns for 2026?

The American Transportation Research Institute wants to know what's worrying trucking fleet managers, drivers, and other stakeholders in its annual Industry Issues survey.

Read More →
Four men in suits on the National Mall with giant video screen showing capitol building in the background
Fleet Managementby Deborah LockridgeAugust 24, 2026

American Trucking Associations Looks for a New Leader

ATA President and CEO Chris Spear abruptly left his job at the association on August 21, at a pivotal time for the trucking industry.

Read More →
The Cyber Stop column header with photo of a smiling driver in truck with a laptop and a wi-fi icon
Fleet ManagementAugust 21, 2026

Public Wi-Fi Cybersecurity Risks: How Truck Drivers and Fleets Can Protect Their Data

Public Wi-Fi can expose truck drivers and fleets to credential theft, malware, and other cyber threats. Here’s how to reduce the risk on the road.

Read More →
Woman in white blazer superimposed on background showing a row of Fraley & Schilling truck, plus the HDT Truck Fleet Innovators 2026 logo
Fleet Managementby Deborah LockridgeAugust 19, 2026

For Nicky Cupp, Fleet Innovation Starts With Frustration

HDT Truck Fleet Innovator Nicky Cupp turns everyday pain points at Fraley & Schilling into opportunities for better technology and smarter processes.

Read More →
Headshot of Adam Buttgenbach with a Pepsi-branded Tesla Semi in the background
Fleet Managementby Deborah LockridgeAugust 18, 2026

Adam Buttgenbach’s Approach to Electric Trucks: Start With Where They Fit

HDT Truck Fleet Innovator Adam Buttgenbach helped PepsiCo build one of North America’s largest EV fleets by focusing on where electric trucks make operational sense.

Read More →